I Know
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: Amanda and David watch as Jade and Dylan take the right road. Hint of Amanda/David. This story will make more sense if you've read the novelization. Chapter title indicates POV.
1. Amanda

History teacher Amanda Williams was not having the best of days. Not a bad day, necessarily, just not the best. David Thomson had just left from stopping in on his lunch break to say "hi", and the day was looking brighter all ready. And besides, it was Friday.

Amanda left her classroom and made her way down the hallway, intending to go eat her lunch in the teacher's lounge. Yet, as she walked, a conversation between two students in the otherwise abandoned hallway grabbed her attention.

"Girl, what you talking about?" A boy's outraged voice reached Amanda's ears, and she froze, listening. "Why cain't you come to Lisa's tonight? I've been looking forward to this all week." His voice softened with what Amanda supposed was supposed to be tenderness. His next words made Amanda's stomach curl. "Just me and you alone all night long."

"Derrick, no!" A girl, hidden from Amanda's view, responded firmly. "I made a promise."

"To who?" Derrick scoffed. "Your daddy again? What, he own you or something? You need to do what you want to do."

"And what I want to do is keep my promise."

Amanda ducked into the nearest classroom when the girl spun from Derrick and headed in Amanda's direction. Amanda peeked out the small window in the door just as the girl passed by. And glimpsed someone she recognized from David's photos as Jade Hayes, his partner's daughter.

Amanda leaned against the nearest desk in the empty classroom, thinking. She knew from David what the promise was that Jade had referenced. The promise ring that her father had given her the previous night. It would seem that Nathan had gotten to his daughter just in time. Amanda was glad for that, and proud of Jade for making the right decision in the end.

Goodness knew the possibilities of what could've happened if Jade had gotten with Derrick.

Amanda's thoughts flashed to hers and David's daughter, Olivia, and the mistakes they had made surrounding her.

Goodness knew the possibilities, but so did Amanda.

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**Please review! This should be a two- or three- shot and is what became of another one of Challenge King's challenges for me. :)**


	2. David

Monday afternoon found David walking up the parking lot towards the high school where Amanda worked. He did a double take when he saw Dylan Mitchell walking towards the school a few yards away from where David was doing the same thing.

He turned in Dylan's direction. Maybe he'd just say hi to the teenager before going in to see Amanda. He stopped when another teenage boy approached Dylan. He couldn't help but hear what the other boy said though, and what he heard made him pay attention.

"Hey, Dylan, I raided my mom's med cabinet I found some great stuff. You wanna see? Since your dad found your stash?"

David arched his eyebrows, and stayed stock still, praying he wouldn't be noticed, as Dylan shook his head. The other boy held out his backpack, offering it again.

"Oh, come on. It's not really the hard stuff, just the same as what you had before."

"No, Jason," Dylan said firmly. "I don't want anything else to do with that: no more drugs for me. And if you know what's best for you, you'll give it up too."

Jason's face fell. "I've tried." He confessed. "Can't."

"But I want to, while I still can. And you can too, talk to someone, Jay. Get help."

"Naw. Anyway, you sure you don't want in on this?"

Dylan smiled sadly. "I'm sure."

"Why? You said it helps."

Dylan nodded. "It does. It did. But talking it out helps so much more, and talking doesn't burn a hole in your conscience. Or your body, for that matter. It doesn't damage your body like drugs do."

Jason nodded and turned from Dylan, hurrying away without another word. David watched as Dylan watched his friend go, shaking his head at the asphalt. David stepped backward hesitantly, turning his back to Dylan to go in the direction of the school.

"David."

David jumped when Dylan said his name from three steps behind him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna report us?"

David stopped and looked back at Dylan. "'Us'?"

"I know you heard him say that I was in possession of drugs."

"If anyone on my team is reporting you, it'll be your dad."

Dylan jerked his head in the direction his friend had gone. "What about Jason?"

"The principal is going to get an anonymous note telling him Jason's trying to sell drugs on school property. The rest is his problem."

Dylan shut down and started walking away, mad at David. And David understood that, what with the fiasco that had gone on with Shane.

"Hey," David grabbed Dylan's arm when the young man tried to pass him.

Dylan jerked away and stared up at him with a hard, demanding glare. "What?"

"Walk with me?" Dylan nodded and they walked on together towards the school. David continued, "One way or the other, Jason will get the help he needs. Isn't that what you want?"

Dylan considered that. "I… guess."

"Are you two really that close?"

Dylan shook his head. "Not really."

"Then you'll still speak to me?"

Dylan nodded, sparing him a smile.

"Good."

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**Please review! This should be a two- or three- shot and is what became of another one of Challenge King's challenges for me. :)**


	3. David 2

"So, what are you doing here?" Dylan asked innocently.

David opened his mouth and closed it again. If Amanda was his teacher, did Dylan really need to know? He'd find out eventually, but still… "Miss Williams' room?"

Dylan's eyes brightened. "Ah. Pretty woman. Nice, too. Yeah, I've got her for history. She's a good teacher. But you don't want her mad at you."

David laughed. "Believe me: I know."

"She has a kid, you kn- Oh."

David looked at him sideways, when he noticed Dylan smirking. "What?"

Dylan bit his lip. "I'm wondering how someone smart enough to put herself through college was dumb enough to go on any number of dates with you."

"Hey!"

Dylan laughed and dodged the light blow David aimed towards him as they stopped in front of the closed door of Amanda's classroom. David caught him the second time he lunged and they began to wrestle around in the empty hallway.

"Hey!" They froze in place when Amanda walked out of her classroom to find Dylan held in David's headlock. "Stop it! You… boys…" She trailed off when she noticed David was one of the culprits.

David and Dylan both straightened up quickly, standing guiltily side by side. "I…" David tried to explain.

"I don't even want to know." Amanda told him. "I'm talking to a student right now, you probably know Jade Hayes, don't you?"

David nodded. "My partner's daughter?"

Amanda shut the door behind her as she stepped into the hallway. "That's the one."

"Is she okay?" Dylan asked.

"She will be. She's beating herself up because of something she almost did recently."

"Almost did?" David asked in confusion.

"There was a boy, who shall remain nameless, who talked her into lying to her parents and going to spend the night with him at a friend's house. She didn't do it, but it's still bothering her. I saw her talking to this boy, and, apparently, she saw me watching them, so she came to talk to me about it."

"Huh." David considered this carefully, slowly mulling it over, before he asked, "Can I talk to her?"

Amanda nodded; her eyes serious. "Sure."

David stepped into the classroom behind Amanda, with Dylan right behind him.

"Hey, Jade." David said softly into the quiet room.

Jade's head snapped up in surprise at seeing him there. "Hey." She replied just as softly. She didn't ask him why he was there.

David sat down on top of Amanda's desk while Dylan lingered in by the closed door. "I hear you've been having some trouble with your conscience."

Jade nodded, looking at her hands and twisting her new purity ring on her finger.

David released a harsh laugh at himself. "Let me tell you: I know what that's like. But here's the thing: in the end, you did what was right." He glanced at Dylan before he said, "You turned away and got back on the right path before it went too far. Before there was no return. That's not something to be ashamed of." He leaned towards Jade and quoted her father. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Recognition flitted through her eyes when she met his gaze and nodded.

"Then what's the problem?"

A smile slowly made its way across her face as she came to the conclusion, "There isn't one."

David leaned back on the desk. "Right."

Amanda slipped up beside David and slid an arm around his shoulders, squeezing them in thanks.

"And, hey," Dylan and Jade both looked back up at David when he spoke. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. You too, Dylan. Taking a stand is hard, but you'll be glad you did. Better to walk out on that stuff – drugs, sex," He paused before focusing on Dylan and adding hesitantly, "Drinking – now rather than trying later, when it's harder. Believe me," He glanced at Amanda, standing tall beside him. "Believe _us_, we know."

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**Please review! This story is complete and is what became of another one of Challenge King's challenges for me. :)**


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